49ers RB preparing for NFL debut

San Francisco 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore says he has “no doubt” he’ll be ready for Week 1 of the 2014 season. But after missing his entire rookie season to recover from knee reconstruction, Lattimore is trying to keep his expectations reasonable for Year 2.

“I can’t go out there and try to be Superman on the first day,” Lattimore told USA TODAY Sports from the Arnold Sports Festival, where he was promoting EAS sports nutrition products. “I’ve got to ease into it. I haven’t really played in a year. I’m just going to go out there and have fun, man.”

A fourth-round draft pick (131st overall) last year, Lattimore has returned from a major injury before. He tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee in 2011, ending his sophomore season at the University of South Carolina.

But that was “a walk in the park,” Lattimore said, compared to what he has endured since tearing all four ligaments in his right knee on a gruesome, direct hit against Tennessee on Oct. 27, 2012. His action as an NFL rookie was limited to three weeks of practice in December.

“Physically, I felt good,” Lattimore said. “Mentally, I wasn’t quite there. I was still kind of thinking about it a little bit.”

If there was a positive to the 2012 injury, Lattimore said, it’s that he didn’t suffer cartilage damage – a strong indicator for whether a player will return to his pre-injury form. He was squatting 445 to 450 pounds in the weight room before the knee injuries and can do a rep at 405 now as he tries to rebuild muscle memory and endurance in his legs, he said.

Lattimore has spoken to Willis McGahee, who blew out his left knee in his final collegeM game, missed his entire rookie season with the Buffalo Bills back in 2003 and has gone on to rush for 8,474 yards over 10 NFL seasons. McGahee’s message: it was a long road to get back, but once he did, he felt great.

“I feel faster than I ever was,” Lattimore said. “But my quickness is still coming back. Getting stronger and making sure my balance is right – those are the two main things I’ve been working on. I feel close. I really do. I feel very close.”